Home and Kitchen

REVIEW – After spending a month with the AMAREY A900 Robot Vac, I find myself wondering what I did without one. This brilliant little guy does a wonderful job of keeping the floors clean… and it’s smart enough to keep from getting itself into real trouble. To the review! What is it? It’s a smart …

REVIEW – We are smart home fanatics at our house. We have almost every light in our house, including ceiling fans controlled by Amazon Alexa. The few lights we don’t have under Alexa control are either lights we rarely use, or they are three-pole lights. Three pole lights are lights that are controlled by two …

REVIEW – I’ve been curious about induction cooking ever since I saw a segment on a cooking show that lauded its benefits. I hadn’t really paid much attention to it but knew that it used magnets and electrical current to heat rather than using a traditional gas or electric burner as a heat source. The …

REVIEW – It’s clear by now Dyson is all about air movement, whether it’s sucking (vacuuming) or blowing (fans). Their vacuum cleaners—especially the newer Dyson cordless stick models—are practically legendary and the fans have also become quite popular. Now, Dyson has incorporated an air purifier into their floor-standing tower fan making air in a room …

NEWS – I like hardboiled eggs, and over the years I’ve tried lots of different recipes and techniques including using an air fryer. However, I can never seem to get them right. The BeepEgg floating egg timer ensures that your eggs will turn out every time. The egg-shaped timer actually lives in the fridge with …

NEWS – Everyone has a favorite beverage(s). That makes it particularly difficult if you’re having a party with lots of guests. You have a Keurig for coffee and tea but what about alcoholic beverages? What does everyone like? Which ingredients do you buy that will please the most people? That question is moot now with …

REVIEW – A few months ago I had the opportunity to review the Yale Assure deadbolt lock and jumped at the opportunity to review another of their great products. Like its older brother, the Yale Assure Lever Smart Keypad Lock doesn’t disappoint. What is it? The Yale model YRL236 is an interior door lock with …

NEWS – I use plastic bags for just about everything. It’s not only bad for the environment, but it can get costly too. Especially if you use them like they grow on trees like I do. Enter the EcoLifeMate reusable silicone food storage bags. Made from food-grade silicone these bags are not only reusable they …

REVIEW – Robot vacuums have come a long way since I first got one of the originals over 10 years ago. With the advent of smart phones, the ability to control, monitor and even maneuver the vacuum has become easier and provided quite a bit more value to these devices. The RoboRock S6 is the …

CROWDFUNDING REVIEW – We now have robots that can vacuum and mop our floors and cat litter boxes that are self-cleaning. So it’s high time that we have a trashcan that can clean itself as well as open and close with a wave of your hand. The Townew trashcan has those features and is now …

REVIEW – I have wanted to try sous vide cooking for years. We have several friends and coworkers who swear by it. I understood the science and thermodynamics of how it works but I was always a little skeptical. While I have been tempted, I have been procrastinating more than anything…never pulling the trigger on …

REVIEW – When you combine a pet with a wife that has asthma, you’ll find yourself in need of air purifiers. The chance to review the Levoit LV-H134 Air Purifier came along and I couldn’t wait to give it a try. What is it? The Levoit LV-H134 Air Purifier is a large air purifier with …

REVIEW – You’re not going to find a bigger fan of fried food than this writer. Growing up, I regularly attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which is famous for having booths of fried food including twinkies, snickers and oreos. Needless to say I’ve consumed my fair share of fried goods. I’ve been intrigued …

NEWS – I’m a huge fan of the Netflix series “Stranger Things” so I was intrigued when I saw that IKEA had recreated the Byers family’s iconic living room ahead of Season 3’s July 4th return. Not only did they recreate the room as part of the IKEA Real Life Series, but you can buy each …

REVIEW – Robotic vacuums suck. Well, that’s their job, right? They suck all the dust bunnies, hair, and dirt up from your floors so you don’t have to. Roborock’s new Xiaowa (pronounced ZY-o-wa) E35 robotic vacuum ups the ante by adding wet mopping to its repertoire. What is it? The E35 is a fairly standard …